The marble column was inaugurated by Trajan in AD 113. It celebrates his two campaigns in Dacia (now Romania) in AD 101-2 and AD 105-6. Carved scenes from these campaigns spiral up the column, beginning with the Romans preparing for war and ending with the Dacians being ousted from their homeland. These scenes are considered to be the masterpiece of Roman sculptural art, still almost intact, and carefully restored in 1980-88. The carving was carried out in less than four years by an unknown Roman master and his workshop. The ashes of Trajan and his wife Plotina were placed in a golden urn in the column's base. The first 40 scenes (roughly), are depicted here. The Roman Numerals refer to the scenes as identified in the publication 'Trajan's Column' by Lepper & Frere.